The comparative potency of cholesterol crystallization-effector proteins in supersaturated model bile systems: association with vesicle transformation.

Various proteins which affect cholesterol crystallization are known to be present in bile, although the relative potency of their action is yet to be established. In this study, we evaluated the comparative potency of nucleating-effector proteins using a recently developed method for quantitative assessment of vesicle transformation in supersaturated model bile systems, to partially characterize mechanisms of their action. Concanavalin A-bound glycoproteins isolated from human gall-bladder bile shortened cholesterol crystallization time by 40% and increased cholesterol growth rate and final crystal mass by 161 and 19%, respectively, when compared to the control. In addition, immunoglobulins isolated from human gall-bladder bile increased cholesterol growth rate by 9%, but showed no significant effect on cholesterol crystallization time and final crystal mass. In contrast, human serum apolipoproteins A-I and B reduced cholesterol growth rate by 26 and 31% and reduced final crystal mass by 12 and 21%, but did not affect cholesterol crystallization time. Gel permeation chromatography revealed that proteins were distributed to both vesicles and bile salt micelles, but that no marked redistribution of lipids was caused by addition of these proteins. Furthermore, no significant difference in crystal structure was observed by video-enhanced contrast microscopy. These results indicate that nucleating-effector substances tested in this study may modulate vesicular cholesterol-holding capacity, thus affecting cholesterol crystallization. Such modulation is based upon the protein-vesicle association which defines the physico-chemical metastability of vesicular cholesterol.